Many kinds of specialized carriers have been developed for use with bicycles and motorcycles. Typically, such carriers are mounted above the rear wheel behind the rider. Some are arranged to carry packages and merchandise, and others to carry an infant or small child. An example of the first type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,703 to Litz. That patent describes a luggage box having tongued rails on its underside that are arranged to interlock with grooves in a plate mounted to the frame of a motorcycle just back of the rider's seat. The rails have a locking means to secure the luggage box to the motorcycle frame plate, and to allow its convenient removal from the cycle.
A patent to Lebaron et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,114, shows another arrangement of a luggage carrier that detachably mounts to a motorcycle in much the same fashion as does the luggage box of Litz. The luggage carrier described by patentees includes a box having a set of guide grooves that interlock with projecting ledges of a base member that is mounted above the rear wheel of a motorcycle. Yet another carrier assembly for mounting on the back of a motorcycle is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,625,405 to Kezar and McCleary. Their carrier includes a box affair sized to hold a helmet, and hinged at the box front so that the box lid can be fixed in a vertical position, and so function as a backrest for a passenger seated behind the driver.
An example of the second type of carrier is shown in a patent to Schimmels, U.S. Pat. No. 4,440,331. That patent describes a carrier assembly for transporting a child on a bicycle. It is arranged to detachably lock onto a bracket fixed above the rear wheel of a bicycle, or to be secured to a vehicle seat to provide protection during auto transport.
Other carriers designed for transporting a child and arranged to be mounted on the back of a bicycle are shown by patents to Martelet, U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,091, and to Mahvi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,143. Martelet describes a carrier that is mounted above the rear wheel of a bicycle to provide a rigid platform that may be used either to carry luggage, or to support a child seat. The seat is detachably secured to and supported by the carrier platform. Mahvi et al disclose a multipurpose traveling bag which includes a fold down seat for an infant, and is adapted for mounting on a bicycle.
There has also been a suggestion in the art to provide means for transporting a pet on a bicycle. One such carrier device is shown in U.S. Design Pat. No. 276,713. That carrier comprises a flat-bottomed, generally rectangular box with an open top. The box is provided with a pair of ties that apparently are attached to a collar or harness worn by the pet to keep it in place within the carrier.
Despite the wide variety of specialized carriers that have been developed over the years, the art has not provided a safe, versatile and durable carrier to transport small to medium sized pets on bicycles. This invention fills that need.